I am finishing up my undergraduate degree in cognitive science and am having a bit of a change of heart. I'm not sure I want to commit my life to studying rat brain structures, so I'm thinking of going the opposite direction. Journalism has always had a romantic connotation, and seems to attract a certain type of person that I'm not, but I'm giving it second thoughts. I've always been interested in current events and trying to find what the real story is behind the headlines (like reading worlds most dangerous places). Any suggestions on where to start, why or why not to make this change? Any journalists here with some advice?...

Take a few classes and decide it you really love it because it's tough to find gigs, you really have to scramble and take what you can get until you make contacts and such. Also, a large part of the job is research as opposed to writing, being a good editor will also make it easier to land a job. Of the roughly 16 to 20 people in my program I think maybe 3 or 4 eventually followed through and became journalists/reporters. I was actually one of the editors of my college paper and wound up in advertising after college, along with about 50% to 60% of my fellow grads. I understand Grad school at Columbia or Missouri can help you land a quicker, better job but I only know one person who went the route and he became a college professor and author.

I still think the old way of training journalists was best, take a young, bright kid who is street smart and savy and has a knack for words and begin him as an apprentice of sorts. That's how most of the greats began, many never even went to college.

"All there is to thinking is seeing something noticeable which makes you see something you weren't noticing which makes you see something that isn't even visible."

bmarx wrote:. Any suggestions on where to start, why or why not to make this change? Any journalists here with some advice?...

Yes - learn to use the search engine...........

+1.

There are several recent threads on this topic. Search for journalism and MiketheHack's name either with the not so great engine here or by using el Google and search for "journalism, MiketheHack site:http://cafe.comebackalive.com/index.php"

"If you were born near someplace called "The Erg of ____" you lost the lottery." - Kurt the Wise

"If you're stupid, the whole world is a dangerous place." - friendlyskies

Speaking with 20 years experience; are you mad? Do you want to starve? Seriously if you want to journo start with writing and photographing what you know. If it's rat brain structures give it a shot. Brinkley for example started off at a small paper in Wilmington, NC, Cronkite a radio man in Oklahoma City, Murrow worked in education.... Do not expect anyone to pay you for a while. I've looked at journo majors from Missou and UGA with masters degrees and sent them on their way and hired the kid with a journo minor from an unknown school. I knew they had yet to be corrupted by the bullshit professors at the prestigious universities of which I myself was originally a product. Decide your medium print, tv, radio, social, web and work from there.

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